• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

When Should My Piggie Get A Bath

IlovemyBabyxoxo

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jul 15, 2014
Messages
70
Reaction score
32
Points
195
Location
Shirley ny
hey everyone so I finally got my piggie back yesterday sadly I'm at work so he's gone alone but I'm just wondering when should I bathe him? Every 3 to 4 months? Sorry don't remember everything from when I had him when he was a baby .. And what kind of shampoo should I use ? Please help thank you very much :drool::love::help::luv:
 
Never! ,,
Not unless it is realy nessessary,
You may have seen you pig grooming it's self, you may also have seen
White fluids beginning to form around the eyes,

this is apparently a form of lanolin that the pig uses to condition it's hair, and insulat it from the cold ! The pig wipe,s it eye then through gruming transfers the lanolin to its hair
Bathing stips away this naturel conditioner
 
Last edited:
Wow that's really good to know thank you so much for the info that's awesome that they do that .. Yes Iv seen Nibbles do that lastnight thought I was so cuteeeeeeeeee .... Can I at lest brush him here and there ? I guess I should do more research lol
 
hey everyone so I finally got my piggie back yesterday sadly I'm at work so he's gone alone but I'm just wondering when should I bathe him? Every 3 to 4 months? Sorry don't remember everything from when I had him when he was a baby .. And what kind of shampoo should I use ? Please help thank you very much :drool::love::help::luv:

The trend in the last few years has been to bathe only when necessary for medical reasons and or when a guinea pig is very dirty, yucky or greasy from an overactive grease gland. Boars and long-haired guinea pigs can often get away with hand-warm water bum baths for the most affected parts.
 
My piggie is short haired so it's ok if he dosent have a bathe he only gets one when he's greasy or smells ? What about brushing can I brush a little bit ?
 
My piggie is short haired so it's ok if he dosent have a bathe he only gets one when he's greasy or smells ? What about brushing can I brush a little bit ?

O yes some piggy adore you brushing them, and it strengthens his/her bond with you !
You will know when you pig is enjoying the brushing session, he/she will burr like a kitten :luv:
 
I agree with Gizzy; a pet does not need to be washed... but I need to wash Calliope once in a while because her long hair is always wet of wee and during the months the wee acidity ruined her hair in that point. I had to cut it, it was dry and impossible to comb. And she always eats like a little pork... her white fur becomes orange... she is really a pig! therefore once a month I wash her completely and when she smells of urine I wash her butt.
Calipso, long hair too, does not need a bath; I wash her once in a while but also for getting her used with the "procedure".
I use a special organic "soap" which is not a real soap and does not contain any bad chemicals, it is the same I use at home and its INCI (the list of the chemicals) is very good.
If you piggie is short haired, maybe you might wash only his intimate parts...
this is my Calliope before and after her dinner...
100_6395.webp
100_6913.webp
 
I never bathe mine.

When I had Tilly and she had urinary issues, I had to wash her bottom everyday to prevent her getting sore.
 
I have four short haired guinea pigs.
I have had them for one and a half years.
In that time only one of them has had a bath, and it wasn't even a full bath - just a shallow 'bum bath'.
And Ruby only had that because she has very long hair around her bottom and it was getting a bit 'whiffy'!

Although Eddi does get brushed on occasion.
He is short haired, so he doesn't really need brushing, but he adores being brushed with an old, soft, baby brush.
 
My piggie is short haired so it's ok if he dosent have a bathe he only gets one when he's greasy or smells ? What about brushing can I brush a little bit ?

Brushing is fine.

Just give boars a bum bath whenever they are yucky and smelly. Here is our boar care guide, which has the updated care tips in, including baths, grease gland care etc.. Things are changing so much in the piggy world...
Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths
 
We only do baths when needed and only part that needs bathing (for older pigs and for my pig that had bladder problems, that was pretty much just the hind end.) I would run a low amount of water in the sink, put a facecloth down to keep it from getting slippery, and would stand them in the sink with their bum in the water and my other hand supporting their front half and shampoo with the other hand. Sundae (my previous old girl with bladder problems) got quite a few baths like this and, although she didn't enjoy them, we got good at making it quick and keeping her minimally wet. The hardest part was getting her dry afterwards, she was scared of dryer noise and hated having her back end rubbed down with a towel! We just would sit her on a towel, give her treats to distract her, and basically try to blot her dry over time!
 
Back
Top